Rotary seed cleaner



F. L. BOOKWALTER 2,183,511

ROTARY SEED CLEANER Filed Dec. 17, 192B 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor F12 14 Z 300%Jod/7) Attorneys 2, F. 1.. BOOKWALTER ROTARY SEED CLEANER FiledDec.

17, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllll'l l ngenfor 27a m4 -Z. goakwa/r Aitomeys over seed cleaning Patented Dec. 12, 1939 cm smrss TENT orriceFrank L. Bookwalter, Versailles, Ohio Application December 1'7, 1938,Serial No. 246,431

1 Claim.

signed for removing Weed seed from wheat and other small grain.

An object of the present invention is to improve machines such as nowgenerally used and which consist, for the most part, of shaker screens.

In accordance with the present invention the seed cleaner ischaracterized by an arrangement of rotary cylindrical screens forseparating the weed seed from the wheat or other small grain.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be bestunderstood from a study of the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 22and of Figure 1.

3-43, respectively,

of comprises a tray or pan 5 disposed at a suitable incline andsupported in any suitable manner.

At the lower formed with a and 5 end thereof the pan or tray 5 is pairof integral parallel troughs 6 that extend fromone side edge to theopposite side edge of the pan 5.

Disposed above the pan 5 and arranged in parallelism thereto are aplurality of pairs of cylindrical screens ii.

The pairs 0 the screens 8 f screens are suitably spaced, and of eachpair are arranged in close proximity to one another.

The screens iorated as at 8 are formed of metaltubes per- 9. The size ofthe perforations 9 will depend upon the size of the weed seed to beremoved from Each of the the wheat or other grain.

screens 3 is provided at the ends thereof with spindles it and ll, thespindles Ill being journals while the spin support it tha din a suitablesupport l2 therefor dles H are journaled in a suitable t in turn issupported by the dividing wall it of the troughs 6 and I.

Also associated with each pair of screens 8 is the screens 8 it thatextends longitudinally of and is positioned between the peripheries ofthe screens at the top sides of the and substantially in contact withthe peripheries of the screens as. best shown in Figure Preferably thedividing rod I5 is cylindrical and is of course of materially lessdiameter than the screens.

Also, the scr rod l5 associated with the pair of screens are provided atone end thereof with gears l6 and 11 respectively that are in constantmesh as shown. Also the spindle ll] associated with a screen 8 of eachpair of screens is provided with a pulley wheel is through the medium ofwhich and a suitable drive belt drive from a suitable source of power istransmitted directly to one screen of the pair. Obviously through themedium of the gearing it and ll the screens 8 of each pair, togetherwith the associated dividing rod l5 are caused to rotate simultaneously,a screen 8 of each pair of screens rotating reversely or in a directionopposite to the direction of rotation of the complemental screen of thesame pair. 15 Also provided at the upper end of the cleaner is a troughH) for the grain, and the trough 19 has extending from the bottomthereof discharge spouts 20, there being one spout 2!] for each pair ofscreens. 20 In practice the seed from the wheat or other grain is placedin the hopper l9 and discharges therefrom through the spouts 20 onto thescreens 8. Obviously the divider rod I5 associated with each pair ofscreens will cause the seed to separate, some of the seed thus separatedpassing onto the periphery of one of the screens while the other of theseed will be directed onto the periphery of the other screen 8 of thepair. The larger seed 2! will travel lengthwise of the screens 8 to falltherefrom into the trough l while the smaller or weed seed 22 will, asshown in Figure 2, separate from the larger seed and pass through theperforations 9 in the peripheries of the screens 8, ultimatelydischarging also through the perforations 9 onto the inclined tray 5 andultimately accumulate in the trough (i at the bottom end of the tray 5.

Thus it will be seen that the smaller or weed seed may be readilyseparated from the grain so that only the larger or more desirable grainseed will collect in the trough 1.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, operation,utility and advantages of a seed cleaner embodying thefeatures of thepresent invention will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A seed cleaner comprising a sloping tray having inner and outer paralleltroughs at its bottom, said troughs extending transversely, an uprighthaving its lower edge connected with the adjacent side edges of thetroughs, said upright separating the troughs, a pair of inclined cylinofthe space between the cylinders, a rod extending through said space andin contact with the cylinders and means for rotating the second cylinderfrom the driven cylinder, the material passing through the perforationsin the cylinders dropping into the inner trough and the material passingdown the space between the cylinders dropping into the outer trough.

FRANK L. BOOKWALTER.

